part 19 hope you like it :D

Chapter 18

For the last two days we travelled through the Antorian forests so that we joined up with all of the other sorcerer groups that were hiding from the King. The place where we were currently camped is just outside the capital where the king's castle is. Me well I resemble a whale, add a blowhole to my back and I'll look just like one and guess what according to Blake, my due date is today, Yay!! Note the sarcasm. I don't like to whine but my feet are killing me and apparently they are swollen not that I can tell considering I can't actually see my feet. Everyone in camp is on their edge of their seats for both the battle and the birth of my child, even Nate is getting on my nerves with all the coddling, damn it I'm pregnant not an invalid.

I was sat there gazing aimlessly at the fire when I felt as if I peed myself and pain coursed through me. Oh hell no!!! This bloody hurts!!! I couldn't speak or move as the pain coursed through my lower back, damn this is like period pain times a million. As soon as the contraction eased I screeched between breathes that were more like pants. "Nate!!!"

Nate who had been talking to Sam on the other side of the camp rushed over to me. "Are you Ok Ari?" He asked in a calm caring voice.

"NO I'M NOT BLOODY OK YOU IDIOT!!" I shouted at him. "I'M HAVING THE BABY YOU HALFWIT!!!" I screeched at him. Damn I've only had one contraction and I'm raving like a lunatic and from what I've heard they get worse and last longer and the last one went on for a minute and to think I could go a good nine hours in labour, oh joy !!

Nate looked at me startled but others who had heard my raving came over and put me onto a makeshift stretcher and carried me over to some little tent thing they had prepared for me. They had just settled me down on what was their version of a bed when the next contraction coursed through me so I grabbed the hand that was closest to me and squeezed for dear life. I heard a creaking of their bones but I was in too much pain to care. Totally sucks, usually a woman gets to complain at the man saying YOU DID THIS TO ME!! Well the only person I can complain to is a God and I really don't want the wrath of the God on me. When the contraction ended I was breathing heavily and I released the hand I had crushed and looked up at the owner to see Ryan cradling his hand.

"Sorry...but this ...bloody hurts..." I said between breaths. I slumped back onto the bed and tried to steady my breathing. Something tells me this is going to be a long night.

A few hours later, I slumped back onto the bad panting. Nate brushed a cool cloth across my forehead which felt heavenly.

"Ok Ari, you're almost there, on the next one I want you to give one huge push and give it everything you've got." Ingrid said to me with concentration. Oh hell no, I can't do this anymore!!

"I can't do this...I can't..." I cried tears running down my face. I sweaty and exhausted and they're trying to make me push out a watermelon. It's just not physically possible.

Nate kissed me on the forehead. "Ari you can do this... I know you can...just one more... I'll be right here with you OK?" I looked into his eyes and thought what the heck I've gone for this long, one more won't kill me.

"Ok" I whispered just before the next contraction hit. I used all of the energy I had left in me and pushed with all my might. When I was done I slumped back on the bed.

"Congratulations you have a baby girl!" Ingrid said with a smile. A gave a faint laugh as I heard the cry emanating from my baby girl. All of a sudden I felt a wet little body laid on my chest with a blanket laid over her. "Don't worry this is normal we just do it to create the bond between mother and child." Ingrid explained but it sounded like background noise as I looked down at the beautiful little baby in front of me.

"My little girl...Isadora...Izzy..." I smiled down at the little girl in my arms she was incredible. A real miracle. Nate kissed my forehead before kissing Izzy's little head.

"My beautiful girls." He whispered in awe.

Ingrid took her from me to clean up the baby and I laid back and let my eyes drift closed I felt like I could sleep forever.

When I awoke, Nate was sat beside me cradling the little girl in his arms and I was now changed in something else. What the hell? These people are sly but hell I was out for the count I don't think they could have woken me up even if they tried.

"How is my little girl?" I asked as I peacefully watched Nate cuddle her to his chest.

He jumped a little at the sound of my voice but then smiled up at me. "She's perfect, although there is one thing..." Nate said. Oh my god is something wrong with her?!

Nate saw my stricken face and chuckled lightly. "It's nothing bad but ...she doesn't have the mark...well she does have a mark but not the mark of the trinity." He finished.

"Let me see!!" I said. Nate carefully handed me the baby. I looked down at the intricate pattern that was similar to Nate and mines tattoos but they were on her hands swirling delicately up her arms. Actually it kind of reminded me of the henna tattoo's Indian women get before the wedding but it also reminded me of the description for the healers markings in that little book the old man has. "Ask that old man for the book I want to check if I am right about something."

Nate disappeared a few minutes later with the book and the old man. I snatched the book out of his hand and flicked through the book until I came to the right part and showed it to Nate. The picture matched her markings and yep there it was..."She's one of the healer's, which explains her healing Ingrid...but I don't get it I thought she was meant to be the third part of the trinity-"

"No, I never said she was the third part of the trinity just that she was important." Came a voice from the doorway. I whipped my head round to see Blake cradling a girl. No it couldn't be?

"Holly?!" I whispered my voice choking up so it came out mumbled.

Blake nodded. "Yes" He laid Holly down next to me and I watched as Isadora who barely a few hours old instinctively held out a hand to my little sister. I shifted so that I was closer to Holly and brushed hair out of her face. I watched as Izzy tried leaning out of my arms to get closer to Holly. "Blake? Lift Holly so that she is closer to Izzy." I said in a commanding voice.

He immediately did as he was told. I watched in awe as my baby opened her eyes for the first time and saw that they were a beautiful violet colour and were totally focused on Holly as she touched her tattooed hands to her eyes. I watched as the sickly pallor that I had grown accustomed to seeing on Holly disappeared and a healthy glow took its place and a contented sigh past her lips which were no longer cracked and dry but were full and red. Her eyes flickered before she opened her eyes.

"Ari?" She asked in a voice that was stronger than I heard in a long time. I nodded. She tilted to the side.

"What's with all the facial art?" She chuckled and I couldn't help but smile back as I cradled Izzy to my chest.

"Long story H. I'd like you to meet some people." I said as I watched her sit up and warily eye the people around us before flicking her eyes back to me and the baby in my arms. "This here is my little girl Izzy and him over there, that's my soul mate Nate...or husband...it's hard to explain." When Holly looked at Nate her eyes widened.

"Oh my god I know him he was on that TV show!!! He was the prince or something." She squealed like a little girl which is funny considering she's fifteen. I had to smile at her though.

"Yeah that's him though everything you saw in the show was real." I said gently trying not to freak her out.

"Really? That is soo cool!! Do you guys really have magic?" She asked eagerly which caused Ingrid and Sam to chuckle.

"Yes we do little one but the most powerful are your sister and Nathaniel." Sam said with a hint of amusement as he watched Holly's eyes widen.

"No way!!! This is soo cool. I go into a bloody coma for god knows how long and when I wake up you have magic so not fair." She said crossing her arms trying to look upset but not working because of the huge grin on her face. "By the way do you think I could get some better clothes this hospital gown is a bit breezy?"

She said as an afterthought. I had to laugh that's why O love my baby sis she's just random, wouldn't be surprised if she started talking about something else completely random in a second.

I watched as she scratched her shoulder absently causing her hospital gown to fall to the side to reveal something all too familiar. I reached forward and pulled her gown to the side to reveal a tattoo that matched Nate and mines original tattoo.

"Oh my god..." I looked up at Blake. "Holly is the third part of the trinity??"

© Katherine Pocock 2010